Category: General

Edicions de Marimurtra is a singular publishing project promoted by the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, through the Carl Faust Foundation, with the aim of disseminating and preserving the knowledge linked to the work and legacy of Carl Faust, founder of the garden. The imprint focuses on botany, the history of science, and on the people, spaces and ideas that have made Marimurtra a scientific and cultural benchmark.

The project was born with the intention of offering rigorous yet accessible content, addressed both to the general public and to specialised readers, and has become a key tool for scientific and heritage dissemination. The current catalogue brings together works that address the figure of Carl Faust, the history of the garden, outstanding botanical collections and scientific relationships of great relevance.

Among these publications are books that bring us closer to people closely linked to Marimurtra, such as Indrets de Marimurtra – La costa de Sventenius, dedicated to the Swedish botanist Eric R. Svensson (Sventenius), or Francis Hallé a Marimurtra, focused on the thinking and visit of the prestigious French botanist and ecologist, an international reference in the study of trees and tropical forests.

The publishing project also includes a clear commitment to botanical dissemination through the Col·leccions Marimurtra. The volume devoted to cycads and the one focused on conifers and other gymnosperms offer consultation tools and support for the visit, with maps, photographs and illustrations that facilitate the identification of the species present in the garden.

Another of the axes of the catalogue is the history of science and the human relationships that have made Marimurtra possible. In this regard, De la mar de Blanes a l’oceà planetari brings together the correspondence between Carl Faust and Ramon Margalef, and shows the decisive role played by Faust in the scientific beginnings of one of the most influential ecologists of the 20^th century.

The figure of Carl Faust is also present through two complementary biographical works: Marimurtra, la república dels biòlegs, the reference biography that allows an in-depth understanding of his vital, scientific and humanist trajectory, and Carl Faust, biografia essencial, an accessible and divulgative version designed to reach a broad audience.

Edicions de Marimurtra responds to the commitment of the Carl Faust Foundation to research, scientific dissemination and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. The catalogue will continue to grow with new collections and publications linked to botany, the history of science and the Foundation’s archive.

Titles currently available from Edicions de Marimurtra

• Indrets de Marimurtra – La costa de Sventenius

• Francis Hallé a Marimurtra

• Col·leccions Marimurtra: 1 – Cicadals

• Col·leccions Marimurtra: 2 – Coníferes i altres gimnospermes

• De la mar de Blanes a l’oceà planetari

• Marimurtra, la república dels biòlegs | Biografia de Carl Faust

• Carl Faust, biografia essencial

📚 All books are available in the Marimurtra online shop, in paper and/or digital format:

👉 https://marimurtra.cat/editorial/

At the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, we continue working to make the biodiversity around us more accessible and easier to understand. Recently, we have renewed the information panel at the insect hotel located next to the vegetable garden, an element already present in the Garden but which now features clearer, more visual and educational signage.

This new panel helps visitors better understand what an insect hotel is, which species can find shelter there and the important role this space plays in the ecological balance of the Garden.

What is an insect hotel?

An insect hotel is an artificial shelter built with natural materials —such as canes, small logs, hay, pine cones or terracotta pieces— that mimic the microhabitats where many insects and other small arthropods live. These spaces allow them to shelter, reproduce, lay eggs or overwinter under suitable conditions.

In managed environments such as botanical gardens, these shelters become especially relevant, as they help compensate for the loss of natural habitats that many species experience outside these spaces.

What is it for?

The insect hotel at Marimurtra hosts beneficial fauna that contributes directly to the proper functioning of the Garden. The new panel explains three major groups of insects according to the function they perform:

Pollinators, such as some solitary bees or hoverflies, essential for the reproduction of many plants.

Detritivores, which break down organic matter and help recycle nutrients in the soil.

Pest controllers, such as ladybirds, lacewings or spiders, which help maintain the natural balance of the vegetable garden and the Garden.

A small element with a great impact on biodiversity

With the renewal of this panel, Marimurtra reinforces its commitment to sharing the importance of biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by smaller fauna. The insect hotel is not only a shelter, but also an educational tool that invites observation, understanding and appreciation of nature from a more attentive perspective.

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden has closed 2025 with a total of 235,395 visitors, the highest figure recorded to date, which represents an increase of 18.07% compared to 2024. This record coincides with the conclusion of the Garden’s centenary celebration events, which began in 2024 and have extended throughout 2025 with a wide program of activities aimed at all audiences.

In terms of the origin of visitors, French tourists have been the largest group (16.36%), followed closely by Catalans (16.28%) and Chinese (14.72%). Polish visitors (9.51%) and Germans (6.18%) complete the ranking, which confirms the international nature of the Garden.

Another relevant data from 2025 is the trend towards deseasonalization of visits. Although summer continues to be the season of the year with the highest influx, a notable increase in visits has been detected during the spring and, progressively, also in the autumn.

In 2025, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden has strongly promoted guided tours and school visits. In total, 410 guided tours have been carried out and the Garden has received a total of 3,791 students.

On the other hand, the second edition of the Marimurtríssim Botanical Family Festival -held in May- has been an absolute success in terms of participation and has become an essential event for families looking for an educational, recreational and gastronomic experience in the middle of nature.

In 2025, the Carl Faust Foundation has reinforced its commitment to disseminating and bringing nature closer to society. With this objective, several learning workshops have been given, including those organized at the Fira d’Entitats, at the Setmana de la ciencia and the Marimurtríssim, as well as the Gardening and Gardening Workshop for the Elderly, a new social project by Marimurtra to improve the physical and psychological well-being of retirees, which has been attended by nearly a hundred people over four months.

Finally, 2025 has also been the year of the incorporation of the new scientific director of the Garden. Since September, Doctor of Botany Josep A. Rosselló has been responsible for guiding Marimurtra’s scientific activities, orienting research projects and setting the guidelines for the new Collection Plan.

Visitors in 2025: 235.395Source of visitors in 2025

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden launched a meteorological station in 2021, which can be freely consulted on the botanical garden’s website www.marimurtra.cat.

These are the most significant meteorological data from 2025:

Regarding temperatures, the annual maximum was recorded on August 16, 2025, with a value of 38.4 °C, while the minimum of the year was reached on January 14, 2025, with 0.8 °C, reflecting a significant thermal amplitude throughout the year.

In relation to rainfall, the rainiest day of the year was September 1, 2025, with an accumulated total of 45.0 l/m², coinciding also with the maximum precipitation intensity, which reached 103.2 l/m². During 2025, 92 days of rain and 273 days without precipitation were recorded, with an annual accumulated rainfall of 700.3 l/m².

As for wind, the maximum gust recorded was 10.7 m/s (38.2 km/h) on January 28, 2025.

Finally, regarding atmospheric pressure, the highest value recorded was 1027.1 hPa, while the lowest pressure of the year stood at 993.8 hPa, recorded on March 13, 2025.

This set of data contributes to the ongoing study of the local climate and reinforces the role of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden as a reference point in environmental and climatic observation along the Costa Brava coastline.

Every year, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden welcomes numerous school visits seeking a different educational experience on the Costa Brava. The aim is to offer activities that go beyond a traditional guided tour and allow students to learn through experience. Direct contact with nature, hands-on materials and active discovery become the key elements of a proposal that connects science, emotion and learning.

Over the years, we have adapted our programme towards more hands-on and participatory proposals, where children can experiment, observe and discover nature with their own hands. This way of learning sparks curiosity, fosters a scientific spirit and turns each outing into a lasting memory.

We have also worked to ensure that the activities are aligned with the basic competencies established by the Department of Education, guaranteeing that each proposal adds value to the learning process. In this way, the experience at the Garden does not remain an isolated activity, but is linked to the content and objectives worked on in the classroom. This connection ensures that the visit has a real and meaningful impact on students’ educational journey.

Marimurtra is therefore a place where education, nature and science come together. Located in a unique setting on the Costa Brava, the Garden offers an incomparable environment to grow in knowledge and awaken vocations. Whether it is about discovering plant diversity, enjoying a day surrounded by nature or living an innovative educational experience, Marimurtra stands out as a benchmark for schools and an inspiring place for everyone.

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden experienced a very special day with the closing event of its centenary, a commemorative year that has filled the Garden with cultural, educational and scientific activities aimed at audiences of all ages, both inside and outside the grounds.

The institutional event brought together political authorities, members of the Board of Trustees of the Carl Faust Foundation, staff and people connected to Marimurtra, and included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque on the façade of Carl Faust’s former house. The different speeches highlighted the figure of the Garden’s founder and the continuity of his legacy over one hundred years.

The Mayor of Blanes, Jordi Hernández, expressed the pride that hosting the Marimurtra Botanical Garden represents for the municipality, while the deputy of the Girona Provincial Council, Natàlia Figueras, highlighted its heritage, scientific, educational and cultural dimensions. The President of the Government of Catalonia, Quim Torra, recalled his personal connection with Marimurtra, and the Secretary for Ecological Transition, Jordi Sargatal, underlined the good state of conservation of the Garden and its work in preserving plant species. For his part, the President of the Carl Faust Foundation, Cristòfol Jordà, reaffirmed the intention for Marimurtra to continue being a welcoming place for learning and botanical research, also announcing the intention to make Carl Faust’s house accessible to visitors.

Coinciding with this closing day, the first issue of the Marimurtra Journal was presented, an annual 20-page publication that gathers the Garden’s activity during the 2024–2025 period. The journal includes scientific projects, outreach actions, educational activities, conservation initiatives and a record of the centenary. The first issue can already be consulted online at marimurtra.cat/diari.

Closing of the Gardening Workshops for older adults

The day also coincided with the closing of the first edition of the gardening and vegetable garden workshops for older adults, an initiative that for four months has turned Marimurtra into a space for meeting, learning and social interaction. The programme was fully booked and involved the participation of 80 people distributed across four groups, with a total of 16 sessions.

The workshops, promoted by the Carl Faust Foundation with the collaboration of the “la Caixa” Foundation, aimed to encourage mobility, socialisation and emotional wellbeing among older people in Blanes through contact with plants and outdoor activity. The sessions were led by Anna Colomer, from deBosc, and took place entirely at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden.

With this event, Marimurtra brings to a close a year of celebrating its centenary while looking towards the future, reaffirming its commitment to botany, outreach, conservation and social ties with the territory.

Bracts that light up winter

When December arrives, many homes brighten with an intense red that marks the beginning of Advent. It is the colour of the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), a plant we often call the “Christmas flower”, although what captivates us are not the petals, but the bracts: modified leaves that the plant uses to protect and highlight its true flowers, very small and discreet. These coloured structures, common in several botanical families, are especially emblematic in the genus Euphorbia, where the cyathia (inflorescences that mimic a single flower) hide a delicate evolutionary ingenuity.

The poinsettia is native to the tropical forests of Mexico and Guatemala, where it can grow as a tall shrub or even a small tree, up to four metres high, and turn red in sync with winter celebrations. This natural link with the calendar is what has made it a universal symbol of Christmas. The plant, however, is much more sensitive than it seems: it suffers from excess watering, from the dry air of heating systems, and from cold drafts. For this reason, it often does not survive much beyond the festive season.
Its characteristic red depends on a key phenomenon: the photoperiod, that is, the amount of light and darkness it receives each day. The poinsettia is a short-day plant, meaning it only develops coloured bracts when it experiences long, uninterrupted nights. In greenhouses, growers make use of this sensitivity and, in autumn, cover the plants for 12–14 consecutive hours to accelerate and intensify the colour change.

Thus, behind this plant so common in homes, lies a series of highly refined biological mechanisms that explain why it changes colour and why it is so sensitive to household conditions. Understanding them helps us appreciate the poinsettia more and enjoy it more wisely during the holidays.

The Christmas Tió: a magical Catalan tradition

When you walk through the Marimurtra Botanical Garden in December, you may be surprised to see a log wearing a barretina, with smiling eyes and a charming expression. This is the Marimurtra Christmas Tió, a beloved character that forms part of one of Catalonia’s most magical traditions.

Who is it and what does it represent?

The Tió is a special log that arrives in homes at the beginning of December. From that moment on, it becomes an endearing guest: it is covered with a blanket, given food, and looked after. This simple routine helps fill the month of December with excitement and small moments that prepare for the arrival of Christmas.

The day of making it “poop”

Christmas Eve, December 24, families gather to gently tap the Tió with a stick while singing a traditional song. And that is when, thanks to all the attention it has received, the Tió “poops” surprises that appear under the blanket. How and why… that is part of the magic adults know well and children perceive with eyes full of wonder.

Why is the Tió in Marimurtra?

At Marimurtra we enjoy sharing traditions with visitors, and having a Tió here allows us to bring this story closer to everyone walking through the Garden.

If you come near, you can greet it, take a photo, or tell it something nice.

Merry Christmas!